Core concepts for playing live

In this two-hour workshop, Surco covers the foundational concepts that he has learned over decades of research. 

Designing a hardware system for live improvisation is a daunting task, but here Surco gives some clear do's and don'ts, helping you avoid frustrating dead-ends.

If you are thinking of developing a hardware liveset, this will be two hours well-spent. Especially if your genre is techno, and especially if you hope to play to dancefloors in a club context.

The concepts Surco teaches involve eurorack modular synths, but apply equally to grooveboxes, Elektron devices, and could even be generalised to laptop performances. This is not a showcase of a specific tool, it's about the principles that apply universally.

Meet Surco, your teacher

Eric (Surco) is a techno performer, regularly playing improvised modular sets in Berlin and around Europe. He has decades of experience as a DJ, and now also runs hardware-only clubnights Prediction Cycle.

Surco teaches this topic regularly to groups online, and streams on his YouTube channel. Most of what he covers in this workshop can also be found there spread over many videos, but this is a more condensed, polished version of that for people who want to support us!

The Underdog x Surco friendship

Since we met at STOOR in 2024, we've been exchanging and jamming a lot. Here are some milestones:

At ADE 2025 we performed at Symbiotic Sessions together.

In May 2025 we jammed on GIMIC radio together.

 

We did several YouTube videos together:

  

Here's to many more chapters of lovely exchange ❤️.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    How to perform modular techno

    • The club mindset

    • The key to improvisation

    • Managing transitions

    • Telling a dynamic story

    • Q&A: mixing, end of chain, etc

    • Find your signature sound